Motor-vehicle.



P. T. DODGE. MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1908.

1,057,127, Patented Mar.25 1913.

I W 2 SHEBTB8HEET 1.

Y WlT/VE88E8: INVENTOI? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON). c.

P. T. DODGE. MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1908.

1,057, 127, Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-15321 2.

WITNESSES: IN l/E/V TOR W WW0 COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH C0,, WASHINGTON, u. c.

PHILIP T. DODGE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Application filed September 25, 1908. Serial No. 454,782.

its equivalent used for steering purposes must be left free to turn;and, in fact, it is moved slightly to and fro almost incessantly. Whenthese vehicles are used in cities,

they must be adapted to turn in a very small circle, and to this end itis necessary to turn the steering Wheels, which are normally free fromlooking or detaining devices, to an extreme angle. The vehicles must beadapted to travel at high speeds, and if, while moving at such speeds,the steering wheels are suddenly turned to the extreme position, seriousaccidents are liable to result. There is danger of the machine skiddingor failing to turn promptly; of the tires being ruptured or beingdisplaced by transverse strains; and of the vehicle being overturned.Experience has shown that in sudden emergencies drivers, because offear, nervousness or carelessness, are liable to turn the wheels toextreme and dangerous posit-ions while the machines are traveling athigh speed. In fact, vehicles can be turned with safety in small circlesonly when traveling at a slow speed.

The aim of my invention is to prevent the accidents above-named, and toprovide a vehicle which can be turned in a small space when traveling ata slow speed, but the wheels of which, although free to swing withinordinary .limits, will be prevented from assuming an extreme angle whenit is traveling at high speed. To this end I propose to combine with themanually operated steering gear, normally free to move the wheels ineither direction, stop devices which limit the motion of the wheels, butwhich may be thrown out of action at will to permit a further andextreme movement of the wheels.

I propose to arrange the stop mechanism in such manner that it willrequire a distinct and intentional effort on the part of the operator tothrow it out of action to permit the extreme movement or swiveling ofthe wheels, and I also propose to arrange it in such manner that whenthe wheels are brought back within the normal or ordinary limits whichmay safely be assumed at high speed, the stop devices will be thrownautomatically into action.

My invention consists broadly in combining with the free or unlockedsteering wheel or steering gear, limiting or controlling devices of anycharacter which will normally limit the swiveling or steering movementof the wheels, and which may be disengaged or adjusted at will to permitthe further movement of the wheels.

It will be understood by the skilled mechanic that the stop devices maybe made in a great variety of forms applicable to the various steeringmechanisms now in use, and that they may be operated by hand or foot.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a top plan view of achassis provided with my improvement, including a manually controllablestop. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa top plan view of the steering wheel and stop devices shown in thepreceding figures. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form andshowing the steering wheel pedal stop devices. Fig. 5 is a top plan viewof the parts shown in the preceding figure.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the main frame or chassis of the car;BB the rear ground wheels by which the machine is propolled; C a drivingshaft leading from the motor and geared to the ground wheels; DD are thefront supporting and steering wheels mounted on short axles, which areconnected by upright pivots E mounted on the stationary axle F. Thesefront axles are each provided with an arm G at the front, and connectedby a coupling bar H, by which the wheels are compelled to swing inunison to the right or left.

One of the steering axles is provided wit-h an arm I, connected by a barJ to a crank arm K, which is controlled through intermediate devices bythe hand wheel or steering wheel L on the'upper end of a supportingpost.

In the particular example shown, the crank K is provided with anactuating pinion M engaged as shown in Fig. 2, by a worm N on the lowerend of the shaft 0 which carries the hand wheel, so that as the wheel.is turned to the right or left, it acts through the intermediate partsto turn or swivel the steering wheels D-D to the right or left aroundthe axes E.

The steering gear and wheels are without locking or clamping devices ofany kind, and at all times free to be turned right or left. This isabsolutely necessary in the steering of high speed vehicles.

All of the foregoing parts may be constructed and arranged in theordinary manner, and so far as described, they constitute no part of myinvention.

As heretofore arranged, the wheels DD and all their connections havebeen so arranged as to admit of the wheels being turned at all times tothe right or left to their extreme positions. It is frequently necessaryto turn them to an angle of 45 degrees or thereabout, from the positionwhich they occupy when the car is traveling in a straightforward course.If the wheels assume this position, indicated by the broken lines inFig. 1, While the car is traveling at high speed, there is danger of aserious accident resulting. I therefore provide means for limiting theswiveling motion of the wheels DD under ordinary conditions,-means bywhich the motion may be limited to the position indicated in dottedlines, or even to a position of less angularity, one which may be safelyassumed at any speed at which the car could be driven. In the form shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the stop device consists of a vertical pin Pmounted in the steering wheel and urged downward by a spring Q, by whichit is held normally in posit-ion to engage the outermost portion of aflanged plate R fixed rigidly to the upper end of the steering post.This plate, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is provided at opposite sidesof the center with shoulders p. The wheel is free to turn to the rightand left until the pin encounters one of these shoulders. They are solocated as to arrest the steering wheels within the safety limit, andthey positively prevent the wheels from assuming dangerous positions, ifthrough carelessness, or nervousness, or through the jolting of the carthe operator should try to urge the Wheel beyond the safety point. Theydo not, however, interfere in any manner with the free action of thesteering devices within safety limits.

WVhen it is required to turn the machine within a small radius, it isonly necessary for the-operator to lift the pin P until its lower end isclear of the stop plate R, whereupon the wheel may be turned until thewheels assume the extreme obliquity permitted by the steering joints orknuckles.

After the wheel is turned beyond the normal position, the pin may bepermitted to ride on top of the plate, and when the wheels are broughtback within the normal limits by turning the steering wheel, the pinwill automatically drop to its original position, so as to again limitthe movement of the steering wheels.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent a similar arrangement, except that the stop pinor rod P, instead of being carried on the wheel, is mounted to slide inbearings on the stationary steering post with its upper end arranged toengage the shouldered plate R secured to the under side of the wheel.The stop pin P is extended downward in this case and provided at itslower end with a pedal or foot-piece p, by which it may be depresseduntil its upper end clears the plate R. It will be lifted and restoredto its normal or operative position whenever the steering wheel isbrought back within the normal limits.

It is manifest that the stop devices may be made in any suitable formand adapted to engage any part of the mechanism between the hand wheeland the steering wheels, the only requirement being that the lattershall be limited as to their swiveling motion until intentionallyreleased by the operator, so that they may be swiveled to their abnormalor extreme position.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a motor vehicle havingswiveled steering wheels and manual connections constantly free forswiveling the wheels to the normal extent, a normally operative means toprevent positively the wheels from being swiveled to their extremepositions, said means adapted to be thrown instantly out of action bythe operator at will, that the wheels may be swiveled beyond the normallimits.

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination of swiveled steering wheels, amanually operative and constantly free steering gear for swiveling thewheels right and left, and normally operative positive step devices tocheck said swiveling motion within the ordinary limits, said stopdevices being adapted to be instantly thrown out of action at will sothat the swiveling motion may be continued beyond the ordinary limits.

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination of swiveled steering wheels,constantly free steering gear for swiveling said wheels to the right andleft, and positive stop devices to limit the swiveling motion, said stopdevices being adapted to be thrown out of action at will to permit afurther and abnormal movement of the wheels.

4:. In a motor vehicle having swiveled steering wheels and gear forturning the same, a gear operating shaft 0, a hand wheel L for turningthe same, and positive stop devices cooperating with the wheel to permita limited rotary motion of the same,

said stop devices being adapted to be instantly thrown out of action atWill so that the Wheel may be turned to a greater extent.

5. In a motor vehicle having swiveled steering Wheels and means foroperating the same, the combination of a retractable stop deviceconnected to the operating means and an abutment located in the path ofthe stop device to limit positively the extent of motion of the saidoperating means, the retraction of the stop device permitting thefurther movement of the operating means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day ofSeptember, 1908, in the presence of two attesting Witnesses.

PHILIP T. DODGE.

WVitnesses:

F. M. EccLEsToN, WALTER MOBLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

